The Moon and the Sun
by kittykatkaren97
Summary: Discontinued, "Don't be so sad. Think of this as a new beginning. An adventure. Besides, we may see each other again. Life has a way of working things out." Anima.
1. 0:Prologue

The night was dark; the only light came from the full moon shining above. The forest was silent, almost as if every living thing was holding it's breathe, as if waiting for something. Trees surrounded a small pool of water left by an earlier rain. By the pool's edge stood a tall man, and a smaller man crouching a few feet behind, both dressed in black robes.

"What do you see, sir?" the smaller man asked, breaking the eerie silence.

"Twins," the tall man responded. "Change."

"Change? How, sir? And what is this about twins?"

"Patience." The tall man commanded. "Twins are uncommon, yes, but +Anima twins..."

"That's unheard of…" the smaller man breathed.

"Precisely."

"What will you—… _we_ do, sir?"

"It would not be my place to interfere, would it? Either way, I'm more of… an observer. As for you… hmm… do what you will."

"As you wish, sir." He stood up and disappeared into the forest.

Listening to the sound of retreating footsteps, the tall man gazed at the pool in silence.

_Twins of Moon and Sun, what will you do?_


	2. 1: The Moon

I walked towards the river, looking for a good hunting spot, when I heard a loud splash.

"Help!" The cry came from upstream, so I waited until I caught of glimpse of the person that fell before diving into the rushing water.

Grabbing hold of the person, who turned out to be a mere child, I swam to the other bank. I pushed the kid onto land before climbing out after him. He lay there coughing and spluttering, desperately trying to rid his lungs of water. Rolling him onto his side, I told him, "This should help make it easier for the water to get out."

He looked up at me and smiled sheepishly. "Thank you, miss."

I stood up and offered my hand to help him. "No problem, kid. Things happen. Anyway, where are your parents? You're not out here all alone, are you?"

The boy took my hand and shook his head. "No, my house is just outside town. I was out here exploring, and, well, I fell in. Whoops."

"Well, you may as well follow me, because I don't want to have to help you again." I paused and listened to the sounds of water and trees. _Kid scared everything off_. "I was going that way anyway." _Now, anyway._

"Thank you, miss!" He followed me as I took off in the direction of the town. When we got to the edge, he turned to me, "I can get home from here. You don't have to worry about me anymore!" He skipped off in a different direction.

_I hope so, at least. Kid's caused me enough trouble today. I guess I'll get some bread from the market and find a spot to stay tonight. Then tomorrow I can head off somewhere else. _

I stopped at the least expensive shop I saw and took a seat. "A loaf of bread and some water, please." I told the worker, who nodded, took my payment, and went to get my order.

"Well, look what we have here. Looks like someone's a bit… washed up."

I shifted slightly at the loud voice behind me. Looking down at my still soaking wet hair and clothes, I realized who he was talking to. I turned toward the man who had spoken. "May I help you?"

He chuckled. "You seem to have a fair amount o' change there, huh?" He leaned in closer with a malicious grin on his face.

"'No violence', please." I said, pointing to a sign hanging up on a wooden beam. "Also, I don't have much money. Especially not to give to common street thugs."

He seemed offended, but before he could get a word in, he was interrupted by the shop worker. "Here's your bread, miss. And you," He looked at the thug, "can settle down and not harass my customers, sir. Next time there will be no warning."

The man huffed and walked away. I looked at the worker. "Thank you. Do you know any cheap hotels? It would save me a lot of time."

He smiled at me. "Yes, the cheapest hotel is at the end of this street on the right. Are you traveling alone?"

I nodded.

He continued, "A young lady shouldn't be about on her lonesome. You don't have any parents?"

"Nope. I'm a traveler. Have been all my life. Never knew any parents."

"Family?" he asked.

"Not as far as I know."

He looked at me for a few moments before asking, "What's your name?"

"Katherine," I told him. "But you can just call me Kat."

"Katherine…" he repeated.

_Strange man,_ I thought. Aloud I said, "Well, I should be going. Bye." I waved and took off toward the hotel he had suggested.

It took a few minutes to get there, get a room, and settle in, but it was fine. Actually, anywhere would be fine. I've learned to sleep anyplace I want.

Looking at a mirror, I used my fingers to comb through my damp, elbow length white hair. After I was done, I used a towel to dry my face, changed into dry clothes, and hung up the wet ones. I took another look at my face and noticed my eyes were darker green than usual, to the point where I could barely see any yellow in them.

I decided to shrug it off, climbed into bed, and drifted to sleep.


	3. 2: The Sun

**Different Point of View**

I yawned and stretched. Getting out of bed, I went through my daily routine of get up, get dressed, and get ready to work. I had a job at a small café; it didn't pay that much, but I got money and a place to stay. Plus, it was decent work—cooking, cleaning—and I was good at it.

When I was finished, I heard a knock on the door. "Come in!"

My boss, Will, came in and shut the door behind him. "I have some bad news," he told me.

I frowned and nodded. "What is it?"

"The shop's closed."

At first, I was speechless. Then, I was filled with distress. "Th-the shop's closed? Are you sure? You're kidding, right?"

He shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid it is, Sol. You'll have to pack up and find somewhere else to stay."

"But I can't work anywhere else!" It was true. This was the only light-labor place in town that hired +Anima. _This can't be happening_.

Will shook his head again. "Pack up your stuff. Then, we'll talk."

Sighing, I slowly packed up my things. I looked at my reflection in the mirror. My black hair fell in slight curls down to my elbows, my eyes were the same golden color they always were, and my skin was as pale as it was before.

The only difference was the frown on my face.

_What am I going to do now? There's nowhere else I could get a job here. Sure, I have a fair amount of money now, but I would need a place to stay and food. That money wouldn't last long. There are other jobs +Anima could get, but all those require are heavy labor, and I'm not strong enough. So, what now?_

I shook my head. _No, I have to be strong._ Grabbing my stuff, I went down to where I knew Will would be waiting. He looked up as I came in. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

"You won't be able to find a new job," he told me.

"Gee, thanks."

"But, if you go that way," he pointed down the street, "and keep going straight, there is a town about a day or two's walk. You might be able to find work there that you're capable of."

I huffed. "Anything else?"

Will's expression softened. "Look, Sol, I know this is hard on you. It's hard on me, too. I spent my life making this place. I don't want to see it closed. The town over should provide more work for +Anima. You'll be fine. Maybe this happened for a reason."

"What, like fate?"

He nodded. "I have something for you." He pulled a small pouch of money from his bag and handed it to me. "Take it. You need it more than I do."

Weighing the bag in my hand, I figured that it was about the amount I already had.

"Buy food then head out. The sooner you get there, the better."

"What about you?" I asked.

"I'll be just fine, don't you worry. Now, would you like a drink?"

"Sure. Milk, please."

"No problem." He poured me a glass, and we sat in silence.

R&R


	4. 3: Parting

**Kat**

A few hours after waking up and eating breakfast, I stopped to get lunch and some food to carry with me. Eating slowly, I looked around. I saw children running around, parents scolding them when they disturbed someone. I saw older men and ladies sitting around, not a care in the world. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.

_This is… refreshing. I don't stay in towns that often. Everyone just seems so happy. Someone could get used to this kind of life_, I thought, taking a drink of my water. _Only, it's not my life._

Once I was full, I gulped down the rest of my drink, wrapped up the remaining food, and stashed it away in my bag. _Where to now?_

I started walking, not knowing where I was going. _But that's the point, right? To see where life takes you._ I frowned slightly, remembering what that shop worker had said to me. _He didn't seem that surprised when I said I never knew any of my family. Not as surprised as I would imagine. It was almost as if… as if he already knew._ I shook away the thought. _No. That would be crazy. How would some random person I talk to know about my past. It didn't make any sense._

I noticed people staring at me, and ignored them. _No, I definitely couldn't get used to this._ All the talking and noise was giving me a headache_. I think I'll stick with traveling alone_.

**Sol**

"Do you need anything else?"

I looked up at Will and smiled sadly. "I think I have everything. I just don't want to leave."

He pulled me into a hug. "I know, Sol, I know. I don't want to leave. I also don't want to see you go."

"I can't believe this is really goodbye."

He released me and looked me in the eye. "Don't be so sad. Think of this as a new beginning. An adventure. Besides, we may see each other again."

"How?"

"Life has a way of working things out."

"If you say so. I should get going. Bye." I grabbed my stuff and waved a final goodbye before turning to walk down the street.

_Why did things have to change so quickly? One day, my life is practically perfect, and the next, everything is gone._

When I didn't think it would get any worse, it did. My misery doubled when I actually started walking out of town; that's when it really felt like I was leaving everything behind.

As I walked, I looked down at the medallion around my neck, letting its familiar weight comfort me. It was shaped like a sun; only one curved side looked like it was cut it off. I knew it was made like that on purpose, but I didn't know why. It was the only thing I've had all my life, and it was extremely important to me. Every time I thought about selling it to make some money, I realized more and more that I could never part with it.

_It's the one thing I have that I know I'll never part with, at least, now it is._

Casting one last sorrowful look at the town, I picked up the pace until it was far behind me.

**Kat**

By late evening, the town, and all the people in it, were far behind me.

Tucking the crescent moon medallion around my neck into my shirt, I started looking for a spot to sleep before nightfall made it too hard to see.

**A/N:** Sorry it's so short, but nothing has really happened yet.


	5. 4: Entice

**Sol**

After two painful days of traveling through the woods, I finally made it to the town Will told me about. The two days travel was hard; not wanting to stop and end up forgetting which direction I was going, I traveled continuously for a good portion of the time. The only time I stopped was when I was absolutely exhausted, and even then I made sure to mark which direction I was supposed to be going. I ate so much food the first day to keep up my energy, I ran out the second. So, basically, I haven't eaten in almost a day.

My first stop was to get food, and then I could worry about finding work. Hearing my stomach rumble loudly, I hurried up with my quest for food. After finding a small shop and getting my food, I sat down and thought about what lay ahead.

_I wonder what kinds of jobs there are here. I could probably get a job at one of the shops, if they allowed me. Anyway, I hope it won't be too hard._

"_Sol…"_

I whipped my head around, but no one seemed to have spoken. I shook my head and thought; _this whole thing must be getting to me._

"_Sol… don't give up…" _The voice came again, softer this time.

_Leave me alone_, I thought. Shaking my head, I scolded myself. _What am I, crazy? I'm just imagining it._

"_No…"_

With that, I decided I was done eating and packed up the remaining food. Someone a little ways away from me gave me a funny look, and I hoped I hadn't spoken out loud.

**Kat**

After two days of traveling, I found a good spot to make camp for the next day or two. Camping was more comfortable than simply sleeping outside, so I always welcomed it.

After setting up, I went off to find some food, and returned later with a few apples and two fish.

_I might want to find a town to sleep in. It's always good to sleep in an actual bed every once in a while…_

After arguing with myself for a while, I decided against it.

_I'll just keep walking._

**Sol**

After hours of looking, I still couldn't find a spot to work. I found a few that would of worked fine, but refused to hire a +Anima_. That's not fair! We can work too. A lot of us better than most people. If anything, we should get hired more._

Grumbling to myself, I continued my search. I tried to stay focused, but my mind kept drifting back to the voice earlier. _The voice almost sounded like… like it came from _inside _my head. Which only brings up the question of my sanity. Great._

'Don't give up'_, it had said. I wonder what it meant by that_.

Either way, I didn't want to think about it. _Even if I can't help it._

As the day went on, my focus started slipping more and more. Eventually, I gave up trying.

_I wish I knew what it meant. Maybe it just means I need sleep, though I highly doubt it. Whatever it was, it was creepy. And I don't want to hear it again. I hope I didn't just jinx that. It's getting late. I should probably find someplace to sleep._

When I found a place to stay for the night, I unpacked my stuff in the room. Finally, I get to sleep in a bed again. I can think about this weird voice inside my head later.

I looked out my window. The view was great; you could see past the city and into the vast expanse of the forest, and to the right there was a huge mountain that towered even over the tallest trees.

I drifted into a comfortable sleep, thinking about mountains and trees.

"_Wake up…"_

I sat up a little too quickly and looked around before remembering the previous day.

_Can't say that I'm glad. Who are you anyway?_

No response. _Great._

Getting up, I packed my stuff up yet again. I couldn't help but look at the mountain, and felt a pull towards it, as if it were telling me go that way.

_That's weird. Well, I guess I could. This town just doesn't feel… right._

_Well, mountain, I hope you're ready, because here I come! _


	6. 5: Apples

**Sol**

The owner of the inn seemed confused on why I was leaving so soon. "You don't look like you travel very often. Are you sure you'll be okay on your own?"

I smiled and nodded. "I'll be fine, mister."

He stared at me for a while before saying, "You're young. If you like, I could give you some travel advice, if you're so determined, or point you in the safest direction. Although, the safest would be not to go wondering about in the woods alone when you have no idea where you're going or what you're doing."

"I'll be fine," I repeated. "I already know where I'm going."

"And where's that?" He asked.

"I'm going to head towards the mountain."

"And what are you planning to do once you get there? Have any ideas about that?"

_He's trying to dissuade me._ "Keep going, I guess. It's just… Have you ever had the feeling that there are places you have to go, or people you have to meet? I've never been a huge believer of destiny and all that... but..."

He shrugged. "Feelings are feelings. If you've made up your mind, then there's no point in trying to stop you."

"I guess not."

"So, you want some breakfast? My treat."

"Oh! Thank you."

As we ate, I began to think about my journey ahead.

_This won't be easy. Since I don't want to have to carry a bunch of stuff around, I'll have to pack light and rely on nature for food and water. This won't be like coming here, where I just walked straight without thinking about food or water._ My stomach growled at the thought. _I know enough about plants that I should be able to tell which are edible. I'll bring a water canteen in case there aren't many rivers,…_ I continued the list in my head_. But… will I really be able to make it? I'm just some little girl. What chance do I have? What about bears, or other big animals? Or if there's no food, or water? I could starve or get dehydrated._ I mentally shook myself_. I can't think like that! I always think like that… But I won't give up! Not ever! Whatever that voice was yesterday, I'm sure it was telling me to go on, and I would hate to disappoint. That, and the weird feeling I got looking at the mountain. I have to go, whatever the risks._

"_Good…" And there it is again. So faint I can barely hear it. Okay, voice in my head, or whatever you are, even though I have no idea what you are or where you came from, I'll listen to you. As long as you're helping me, _I added.

After a half hour of eating, packing, and getting water, I decided it was time to head out. I stood at the edge of the town, watching the forest. _This is it. A few more steps and I'll be on my way…_

"_Just go…" Okay then, geez._ I walked until I was just inside the forest. _Happy now?_

"_Yes." Well fine then._ I started walking again, off in the direction of the mountain. _I can't believe I talked myself into this. I mean, really? But there's no point in turning back now._ Looking around, I began making a mental map, keeping track of landmarks that stuck out so that I didn't get lost. _Can you get lost if you don't know where you're going? Probably. I'll just keep going towards the mountain. Problem solved._

An hour later, I stopped to take a rest, and stared at the mountain. _It doesn't look any closer. Weird._ Taking a drink of water, I got up and kept going, mentally arguing about getting food, sleep, whatever. After a few more hours, I decided to find something to eat and get some sleep. I got lucky; it didn't take that long to find a blueberry bush. As I ate, I set up a makeshift camp. Once I was full, I laid down to sleep, eventually getting comfortable on the hard ground.

I kept going for three more days, and the mountain didn't seem much closer_. I must be farther away than I thought. Still, it's three or four days back, or keep going. I choose to keep going_. I had crossed a small stream once when I was running low on water yesterday, which I was grateful for. I managed to find enough food to keep me going. It could be worse, although it could also be better. _Either way, I'm not complaining._

I was walking when a thought popped into my head. _Hey, voice, do you have a name? Or, what should I call you?_ No response. _Fine, be that way. I guess I can't just talk to you whenever I want, huh? I just hope that proves that I'm not crazy… Just keep walking, Sol, just keep walking…_

After a while, my stomach started to rumble. I kept walking, but watched out for anything that I could eat. When I was about to give up on food for the day, my eyes fell on what I was sure was an apple tree. I went over to get a better look, and saw apples on some of the branches. _This must be my lucky day!_

Finally finding a way up, I reached the first branch. I carefully reached for another branch, and after a few, I got to one with two apples. _They're out kind of far on the branch… but the next apples are a lot higher up. I better just try to get these._

Carefully, I started down the branch. _Slowly… careful… good…_ I reached my hand out the first apple. When it was almost in hand, the last thing I heard was a giant _crack!_


	7. 6: Perhaps

Clouds covered the moon as night descended upon the forest. Along with darkness came silence; not one living thing dared make a sound. Even the air was still. It stayed that way well into the night, until the silence was broken by the sound of crunching twigs and leafs. A man in a black cloak was rushing through the woods, his movements nervous.

He reached his destination: a small clearing completely surrounded by trees. You wouldn't be able to tell there was a clearing until you stumbled into it. In the center of a clearing was a bigger man, wearing a similar black cloak. The former of the two spoke first. "Master, there is a problem."

The bigger man didn't move as he replied, "I'm aware, Vizor."

"Okay, sir, but what are you-"

"Tell me… Don't cats always land on their feet?"

Vizor thought for a second. "Well, yes, most of the time, sir. But I really do not see how this relates to the matter at hand." When the bigger man, obviously his superior, didn't respond, Vizor continued. "Besides, the girl… she could die!"

"Perhaps."

"But… Master Bade… we can't just let her die."

Bade considered this. "I already told you that I wouldn't interfere. And neither will you. That's an order."

"I understand… kind of… but still, there must be something-"

"I said that that was an order. This topic is not up for discussion."

Vizor sighed in defeat. "I don't agree with your decision… but I will follow your order. I know my place."

"Good." Bade decided to bring up another topic. "The other one. Where is she?"

"I have no idea. But I wish I did." Vizor muttered.

Bade nodded before waving his hand, dismissing Vizor. Vizor hesitated for a second before turning and leaving, grumbling to himself.

~~0~~0~~

**A/N: Yes, this chapter was short. I know. Anyways, to make up for it, I've already written chapter 7, and will be posting it… tomorrow, probably. Other than that, I would like to thank the people who review this story (my favorite people on this website): **Hokona, Sophia Griffin, 0m3ga's Z3r0, and xDevilishAngelx. **Reviews make my day. Also if you have any suggestions, feel free to tell me. I welcome constructive criticism, as long as it's not just "This is bad" or anything like that. And, both Kat and Sol are cat +Anima. Just clearing that up. Anywhoo, I hope you enjoy the story.**


	8. 7: Crossroads

**Sol**

When I woke up, I was extremely tired. I opened my eyes to see a girl that looked around my age leaning over me. She had straight white hair that went down to about her elbows, pale skin, and pale green eyes with flecks of yellow in them. Our eyes met, and it was like everything happened at once, but nothing really happened at all.

The feeling left, and a piercing pain rung through my head. That was when I remembered what had happened. _Right, I fell out of a tree. So, where am I, and who is she?_

Somehow, I managed to stammer out, "Wha-what h-happened?"

"You fell." She said.

_Really? I hadn't noticed_. I groaned and brought my hand to my head, finding that it was wrapped in bandages. It was damp with what I had to guess was blood. Trying again, I asked her, "Where are we?"

She tilted her head slightly. "The forest. Around the same place you fell out of the tree. So, where are we?"

I frowned. "I got lost, how should I know?"

"You got lost," she repeated, "so you decided to climb a tree."

"It was to try and get food. Obviously, that didn't work out in my favor."

To my surprise, she nodded. "You should eat something and drink some water. Then rest."

_Oh, so now you care,_ I thought, but didn't dare say it out loud. "Thanks."

"Don't thank me." She got up to get some food while I struggled to sit up, my throbbing head limiting how much I could move. "You hit your head pretty badly. It may take a while to heal up completely. Even then, I can't say much about the brain damage you might have."

I glared at the back of her head, trying to resist making a sarcastic response. She _was_ helping me, after all. _Even if she isn't being very nice._

As she worked to prepare food, I noticed a swirly mark running over her left palm and about halfway down her forearm. I glanced at my +Anima mark, which wrapped around my right upper arm, almost looking like a bracelet. When she turned back around to bring me the food and water, my eyes fell on a crescent moon amulet that hung around her neck_. It… almost looks like it could fit together with mine…_

She handed the food to me, and I accepted it gratefully. She didn't take any. "Aren't you going to eat?"

"I ate earlier."

_That didn't work._ "So, what's your name?"

"Kat."

"Ah. My name is Sol. It's nice to meet you."

She didn't respond. She just sat there watching me, boredom showing in her green eyes. I gave up trying and ate in silence.

**Kat**

_This Sol sure does like to talk_. She seemed to have given up trying, though, since she simply sat there eating quietly. She had black hair that went down to her shoulders, slightly curled. She also had pale skin and gold eyes, which betrayed the pain her injury was causing her, as much as she tried to cover it up. Earlier, I had noticed how she struggled to even sit up. She had been unconscious for about two days, and she had occasionally groaned and writhed in her sleep.

_She doesn't seem like she travels very much. I don't want her to get hurt again, because it would just cause me more trouble. There should be a town a few days, maybe a week's, walk away from here. Although it will probably take longer with her head slowing us down. She can find someplace there and be out of my life. It wouldn't be right just to ditch her here, especially since she's hurt. I'm the one that helped her in the first place, so I'm the one that'll just have to swallow my pride and deal with it._

My thoughts were interrupted by Sol's hesitant voice. "This is really good. It's fish, right?"

"Right."

She looked sheepishly at the ground. "I really never got to eat fish very often. Where I grew up isn't near a river. There was a small creek, but the fish in it were too tiny to eat."

"Rivers tend to have bigger fish."

Sol nodded and went back to eating quietly. _Humph. Must be hard for her._

**Sol**

"There should be a town a bit of a ways walk from here. We'll wait for your head to start getting better, then we can head out."

I nodded. I had just finished eating a few minutes ago, and I was getting ready to go to sleep, even though it was hard to get comfortable being in constant pain. "How far away?" I asked softly.

"I'd say a few days to a week, normally, but since you're injured, it will probably take longer."

I nodded again, and somehow managed to fall asleep.

I dreamt of growing up with Will raising me. For the first ten years, he took care of me. When I turned ten he started to allow me to help him work at his shop. Some of the older customers complimented me on how cute I was, helping Will with his shop at such a young age. At first, all I had to do was take orders, but as I got older, I started carrying food out to people, cooking, and cleaning. I learned a lot about food and money, like which herbs to use for what food and how to tell when people are trying to haggle their way out of paying full price on something. Will taught me how to read personalities and get along with people. He helped me out when I needed help, and cheered me up whenever I was sad. But now he was gone, and I may never see him again.

I woke up and saw Kat adding logs to the fire. For the first time, I looked around to get a look at my surroundings. We were in the small clearing surrounded by trees. Kat had built a fire in the center, and the grass I was laying on was soft. It seemed like the perfect place to camp out in the woods.

I just hope I get to sleep in a nice cozy bed soon. With that, I once again fell back into the dark abyss known as sleep.


	9. 8: Pretty Please?

**A/N: Don't you just hate it when authors put really long authors notes right in the beginning of the story? I mean, to me it just seems kind of unnecessary, unless it's the first chapter or something like that. Seriously, it's like, can we please just get to the story? That's kind of the point of writing a story… you know, the ****story****. And when you notice the authors note is about half the story, and you don't want to be rude and just skip it. Come on, we have manners, don't we? It's okay to put it after, because then it doesn't get in the way as much… Wait, was there something I was supposed to do…?**

**Sol**

It's been about three days of… resting and eating, for me, basically. Kat didn't really talk to me except for telling me to sleep or eat or anything like that. She hasn't really been mean, but she hasn't really been nice, either. Honestly, as long as we weren't arguing, I didn't really mind.

Finally, on the fourth day, Kat made an announcement. "We'll start heading to the town I talked about tomorrow. You should be well enough traveling, but if your head does hurt, we'll stop and take a break."

I gave her a doubtful look. "Well, sure, but are you sure I can? I mean... my head still hurts and everything…"

She rolled her eyes. "You'll be fine. Like I said, if you get too tired, we can stop and take a break."

"Okay…"

And with that, we went back to the usual routine of her telling me to eat and rest. Only, tonight, for some reason, I slept more peacefully than I normally did.

The next day, we set out. It wasn't anything special; Kat just woke me up and told me we were leaving. _It's kind of amazing how she can be so… like that._

As we walked, my eyes kept focusing on the mark on her hand. Eventually, my curiosity got the best of me. "Hey, that mark on your hand… is it a +Anima mark?"

She spun around with a defensive look in her eye, clutching her arm to her chest. "A-and? What's it to you?"

That's the first time I've heard her stutter, or show that much emotion. "Actually, I'm-"

"Whatever, just forget it." She cut me off, turning back around to walk in front of me.

After that, we walked in silence.

* * *

><p>A while later, we had to stop because of my head injury. Kat went out to get food while I sat and rested.<p>

_There's a lot of stuff I don't understand about Kat. I almost feel… connected to her, in some way or another. What's with that? And what's with me lately? First the voice, and now this connection thing… It's so weird. I mean, why me? My life has been pretty much normal, so why's all this funny stuff happening all of a sudden? And not funny as in funny ha-ha, but funny as in funny weird. Seriously. Just… why?_

Kat came back with fish—again— and so we ate before setting off again, since my head didn't hurt as much.

* * *

><p>A week and a half later, we got to the next town, arriving in the middle of the day. <em>Yes! I get to eat something other than fish and some other trivial stuff! Did I mention that there was a river close by most of the way? Not this big huge one, but still a river.<em>

Surprising me, Kat broke the silence. "Let's get something to eat first, and then we can find somewhere to stay for the night."

I nodded in agreement. "Any preferences?"

"Nope."

"Okay then."

After searching for a bit, we found a small café, and sat down to eat. _This place reminds me of Will's old café… but, I can't think about that now, or else it'll get me really depressed, and I don't want to get depressed now. I'm actually starting to feel… happy…_

Kat kicked me under the table. "Hey, it's time to order."

Snapped out of my thoughts, I looked up and saw a waiter waiting to take my order. Well, I guess that's why they call them waiters. "Oh, sorry…"

* * *

><p>After eating, we went and found a cheap hotel to stay at. When we got to our room, I realized why it was so cheap. "Geez, couldn't they at least give us halfway decent beds?"<p>

Kat shrugged. "Well, it's not like we're staying for more than a night anyway. And besides, for you, it must be a step up from sleeping on the ground."

"True. Oh, and I would like you to know that it hurt when you kicked me earlier. I think you even gave me a bruise."

"Oh, I'm sorry, that's terrible. It's almost as bad as- oh, I don't know- almost dying."

She does have a point. Not that I would admit it. "Almost as bad as dealing with you," I muttered.

Too bad Kat heard me. "Go to bed."

"Fine, I will." And I did just that.

* * *

><p>I woke up to see Kat already packing. "What are you doing? I didn't think we were leaving yet."<p>

She glanced up at me. "You not. I'm leaving without you."

"Wh-what?" I gaped at her.

Grabbing her stuff, she got up and started walking to the door. "Yeah. Well, bye."

With that, she left, and I was too shocked to go after her.

I simply sat on my bed, thinking. I wish I could say I was thinking about happy things, like rainbows and unicorns, but I wasn't. _What am I going to do? Ugh… Why is this happening?_

"_Don't give up, Sol…" _Came the voice_. And what should I do? Just go after her and convince her to let me come?_

"_Just that…"_

_Easy for you to say… easy for… wait a minute, that might work! Oh, and I've also decided that you need a name. _

An hour of running and asking later, and I finally saw Kat's retreating figure. "Hey! Wait up!"

She stopped, but didn't look at me. "Didn't I tell you I was going without you?"

"Well, yes, but…" I panted. "But, I'm not staying here. And if I go out on my own, I could get hurt again."

Kat took her time thinking about this. "Fine, but only if you stay out of my way."

_Heh, well, at least it's something._

**A/N: Okay guys, this is the real authors note. Before you ask: No, my computer is not fixed. But, I decided to write this chapter now, because you guys are awesome like that. Also, there might be something wrong with the hard drive on my laptop, so I might need to get a new computer, and I don't know how long that's gonna take. No updates on the contest, I haven't decided a winner, whatever. But, if you have any suggestions or anything you want to see, review or private message me. Thank you, reviewers, and… yeah… Bye!**


	10. 9: Patch

**Kat**

It's been about a week since I decided to let Sol travel with me. Well, more like I didn't want her to go off on her own again and hurt herself. Then I would feel responsible. _People like her shouldn't be allowed to travel. Especially alone._

Sol's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "Hey, Kat, look! There's a town! And it's big!"

"That's great." I muttered, looking at the town ahead of us. Sol was right; it was huge.

"I know. Come on." She grabbed my hand and started towards the town, ignoring my protests. I huffed, snatching my hand away, and followed her at a normal pace. _She must be really excited to sleep in an actual bed. _Her head had, for the most part, healed. It bothered her occasionally, but it wasn't as bad as before. _Thankfully._

"Hey, wait up." Sol heard me and stopped, looking back at me. She waved and grinned. I sighed and caught up to her.

"We should find someplace to eat. Then we can look around before finding a place to sleep," she said as soon as I reached her.

"Okay. You're paying for your own food, though."

She rolled her eyes and nodded. Instead of a sit down place, we each got food from stands. She got an apple and a loaf of bread, and I got chicken soup. We both got milk to drink. _Well, that's one thing we have in common._

After eating, we discovered that, not only was the town big, but there were tons of people. Some of them looked a bit shifty, so I decided it was best not to trust any strangers. You're not supposed to trust strangers anyways, but still.

"So, what do you want to do? Look at some shops?" Sol asked. I gave her a look and she hurried to continue. "We don't have to buy anything, we'll just be looking, but, you know, it might be fun."

"Maybe." I was still distracted by all the people. _How does Sol take no notice of them? _"Just stay with me."

She smiled energetically. "Will do!"

A few minutes later, her eyes caught on a small shop a few yards away. Luckily, she thought before running off. She opened her mouth to say something, but I cut her off. "Yeah, I see it. Let's go."

I started to follow her, but something caught my eye. A shadow? It's broad daylight. An uneasy feeling settled over me. I turned back to Sol to ask if she saw it, but I didn't see her. I walked over to the shop she was headed to. "Have you seen a girl, my height, by herself, with black hair?" I asked the nearest person.

He looked over at me. "Maybe. When would she have been here?'

"Just now."

Rubbing his chin, he said, "I can't say I've seen her. Are you sure she came here?"

"This is where she… we were headed."

"Well, I'm sorry, but I can't help you."

I nodded and walked away, carefully looking around. She can't have gotten far. Maybe she saw something else? Or the same shadow that I saw? No, then we would've ended up at the same place. Where could she be? Great, this is just what I needed, a game a hide and seek. Let's see, if I was Sol, where would I go? That shop seems like a good option, but I don't see her anywhere around here.

I spent the next few_… hours?_ searching for her, but I still came up short. before long it started to drizzle rain, which soon turned into an all-out downpour. I took shelter under an empty awning, watching as the streets cleared out. I don't blame them

**Sol**

_Where could she have gone? Geez, I go to look at a shop, get pushed around by a bunch of people, and to top things off, I get separated from Kat. What could go wrong today?_

As if in response, the light drizzle turned into heavy downpour, completely drenching me in water. Still, I refused to give up, and continued my search. What felt like an hour went by, with no luck, when something landed on my head.

"You know, if you stand out in the rain like this, you'll catch a cold."

I turned around to see a guy behind me. I couldn't make out many of his features through the rain, but by his voice, I guessed that he was about… a year older than me? I reached up to find a towel on my head.

"Oh, um, thanks, but I'm looking for someone."

He tilted his head. "Well, good luck finding her in this weather. You would have a better chance looking after the storm passes. Do you have a place to stay?"

"Uh, no…" I shook my head.

"Would you like to stay with me? Just until the storm passes?"

I studied him as carefully as I could. His tone didn't sound threatening, his words just sounded like an innocent question. "Sure, and where would that be?" If he lead me down an alley, I wasn't following.

"Right over there." He pointed towards a fairly large building, and I could just make out the word 'inn'.

I raised an eyebrow. "A hotel?"

"Yes, well, I'm just passing through," he said sheepishly. "Anyway, I'm soaked, you coming?"

"I guess."

I followed him off towards the inn, ducking inside after him. That's when I realized how wet and cold I actually was. When we go to his room. I sat down on the bed shaking.

He handed me a blanket. "Here."

I took it gratefully. "Th-thanks."

"You're welcome. So, who were you looking for?"

"My friend."

He lit a few candles, brightening up the room. As I watched, he pulled a towel off his head, laying it out flat on the floor. He was a few inches taller than me, with a lean muscular build. His hair was mainly gray, with streaks of brown, white, darker grays, and even black. His skin was fair colored, and it made me a bit self-conscience about my pale skin.

I noticed that he didn't respond. I broke the silence. "So, what's your name? Mine's Sol."

"Patch. Nice to meet you, Sol."

"Nice to meet you, too."

He sat down next to me. "So, tell me about this friend of yours."

"Well, she's strong, and confident, but she's not always the nicest person."

He nodded. "So, how did you get lost?"

I huffed. "Not lost, separated. And I really don't know."

Lightning flashed, and less than a second later, a crack of thunder boomed. I noticed Patch stiffen slightly. He spoke up, "Well, I for one am up for going to sleep. You?"

"Yeah, sure. Thanks for letting me stay here." There were two beds, which meant one for each of us.

"You're very welcome. Goodnight."

"Night."

With that, we both laid down in our bed and went to sleep.

* * *

><p>Someone nudged me awake the next morning. "Hey, time to go look for your friend."<p>

I opened my eyes, confused, before memories from the previous day came back to me. I looked up at Patch, who was standing over my bed. "Hey. Thanks."

"You're welcome."

I got up and we went out looking for Kat. Before too long, I saw Kat huddled under an awning. "Hey, Patch, I see her!"

Patch looked over to where Kat's head popped up. I ran over to her. "Hey, Kat, where have you been?"

She glared up at me. "Where have I been? Where have you been? I spent half the day yesterday looking for you!"

I rubbed the back of my neck. "Well, you see,…"

"And who's that?" she demanded looking over my shoulder. I turned to see Patch walking over.

"Oh, that's Patch. He helped me find you…" I stopped. Kat was glaring at me.

She stood up abruptly. "Well, let's go."

"The weather isn't good for traveling." Patch's voice surprised both me and Kat.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kat asked, clearly offended.

"Look, the storms headed and that direction." He pointed towards the sky, and I could by Kat's reaction that's where we were about to go. "If you go there, you might get caught in the storm, but either way the soil won't be very good. It's too wet."

It makes sense. Kat looked ready to argue, but I stepped in. "Kat, he's right. We may as well stay here another day."

"Fine," she muttered. "Try not to get lost again."

We ended up staying at Patch's hotel room. Kat and I got the beds while Patch slept on the floor. In the morning, Kat told me to get up, and now we were almost done packing.

"So, where are you guys going?" Patch asked.

"What's it to you?" Kat answered.

"Be nice, Kat." I said. "I don't know where we're going. Just, moving on, I guess."

He nodded, and paused a moment before asking, "Do you mind if I join you guys?"

"Yes." Kat answered at the same time I said, "No."

There was a brief silence before I said, "No, you can come with us."

"But he…" Kat began to protest. "Fine, he can come."

"Thank you."


	11. 10: Too Much Water: Part 1

**Sol**

"Fine. Whatever. Let's go." Kat ordered. Simply put, she was mad. _And even that is and understatement._

Patch walked up behind her. He raised his hand to put on her shoulder. "Hey, thanks for letting me-"

He didn't get to finish. Kat whipped around, slapping him across the face. "Don't touch me, you stupid dog!" Then she turned back around, stomping out of the room.

Patch stood there, surprise showing in his eyes (which were amber, with brown rings around the pupil and edge of the iris). Eventually, he turned to me. "Well, I'm guessing that we should go follow her. What do you think?"

I nodded. "That sounds like a good idea. Hey, wait, she called you a dog… so does that mean you're a…"

"+Anima?" He finished for me. "Yeah, but I'm not a dog, though."

I raised an eyebrow and he clarified. "Wolf."

"Ah." That makes sense, I guess…

"Yup, kind of like you."

"Like me? What do you mean?"

"Being a +Anima."

I looked at him curiously. "How can you tell?"

Patch shrugged. "Same way Kat could, I guess. Cat, right? Like your sister?"

"Uh, yeah, but we're not sisters." _Where did he get that from?_

"Well, you guys look kind of the same. My mistake."

_We do? I hadn't noticed._ "Um, speaking of Kat, we should probably go after her now."

He laughed. "Yeah, we should. Let's go."

We went out to catch up to Kat, which took a bit longer than I thought it would. _Why couldn't she just wait for us? Seriously, is it that hard? _Even after we caught up to her, she pointedly walked ahead of us. _Because she's that nice._

Soon enough, we were out of the town, and back into the woods. I kept pace with Patch, while Kat walked a few feet ahead. That was saying something, because I usually walked right behind her.

"She's really mad, isn't she?" I muttered to myself.

I jumped a little at Patch's voice. "She is. Is she always like that?"

"Not usually, I guess she's just pretty upset."

He gazed ahead of him with a sad look in his eyes. "Probably because I joined up with you." He smiled, but I could see right through it. "She must really not like me."

_Now, why do you look so sad?_ "I'm not sure Kat really likes anyone that much. Don't worry about it too much." He didn't respond, so I changed the subject. "So, do you travel a lot? It seems like it."

Patch nodded. "Yeah."

_Okay, this is starting to get awkward_. "Well, what do you like about it?"

This time, an excited gleam took over his eyes. "It's fun. You know, going out, seeing new places, being free…"

I snorted softly. "Free? Can't say I've gotten that feeling yet."

"You will, eventually." There as something unreadable in his expression, but I decided not to dwell on it too long.

"Right. Eventually. What about food?" I asked, thinking back to when I fell out of the tree, leading to me meeting Kat.

"Hmm. It's not always the best, but sometimes you get lucky with finding it."

Whenever we were by a river, Kat would usually fish, and we would eat that along with whatever else I found nearby. Sometimes, it's different. One time, I had almost stepped on a rattlesnake, but Kat killed it before it could bite me. Then she decided that it would be a waste to just leave it, so she cooked it up and we ate it. It tasted like chicken.

I nodded. "Kat usually fishes. You get used to the taste."

"Are you kidding? I love fish. Especially salmon."

"Really? I don't think I've ever had salmon."

"You should. It's great."

Then I noticed something that surprised me. "Kat hasn't said anything."

"I think she's ignoring us."

Kat flicked a glare over her shoulder. "I'm doing my best."

I rolled my eyes at her. "Well, thank you."

She narrowed her eyes and turned back around. We walked in silence for a bit. I was curious about Patch being a +Anima, but I didn't want to ask him about it. Knowing +Anima, they didn't like to talk about it, and I didn't want to upset him. Again. What was that sad look in his eyes earlier? Once again, I didn't want to ask, even if I wanted to know.

I sighed, and Patch looked over at me. "Something wrong?"

"No," I lied. "I think I'm just a bit tired."

"Already?" Kat spoke up. "I thought you were feeling better."

"Feeling better?" Patch repeated. "What happened?"

I looked at the ground sheepishly. "Oh, I fell… and hit my head…"

Kat snorted, but didn't say anything. To my relief, Patch didn't press the subject anymore. There was silence before I turned to Patch, keeping my voice low. "Hey, Patch. Earlier, when we were talking, you looked kind of sad. What… what was that about?"

I couldn't help it; my curiosity got the best of me. It was a moment before he responded. "Oh, that was nothing. Don't worry about it."

_It wasn't nothing, and you know it_. Still, I didn't say anything.

* * *

><p>"There's a river up ahead." Kat informed us.<p>

"I can tell." That was Patch.

Kat glared at him. "I don't care."

"Okay." I said.

Both of them looked at me funny. I glanced at each of them. "What?"

They shrugged. "Nothing." Patch said.

"You've been quiet for a while." Kat added.

I rolled my eyes at her. "You're the one who always tells me to be quiet."

"True."

"Guys," Patch cut in, "the river's up ahead."

He pointed to a large river blocking our path. Actually, it wasn't large, it was huge. And there was no way around it. Kat came to the same conclusion. "Well, I guess we'll have to cross it."

The others started making their way over, but Patch noticed I wasn't following and walked back over to me. "Hey, you coming?"

I couldn't stop staring at said 'river'. "I can't swim."

"I'll help you across." He took my hand and walked me over to the edge.

"No, I mean… I can't."

"Yes, you can. I'll help you." He told me firmly.

I opened my mouth to respond, but got cut off by Kat shouting, "Hey, are you guys coming or what?"

She had already swum across. I couldn't believe it. It was impossible. No. this wasn't happening. This river is a deathtrap. I'm not swimming across.

"You know, she's not going to wait for us forever. Come on, _I'll help you_." Patch held out his hand.

"How?"

"Just grab onto my neck and don't let go."

I gaped at him. _He _is_ kidding, isn't he?_

"Sol, come on. I won't let you drown. I promise."

Reluctantly, I wrapped my arms around his neck, and the next thing I new we were swimming across. Well, he was swimming. I was trying to assure myself that I wouldn't drown. Which was hard. _I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die…_ the words kept repeating in my head.

* * *

><p>"Are you okay? Sol? Can you hear me?"<p>

Patch's voice rung in my ears. I coughed and rolled over. _Wait, what?_ I opened my eyes and realized that I was on dry land. _I'm on dry land!_

"Sol." There came Kat's voice. "Get up or I'm dropping you in the river."

I sat up instantly. Patch was leaning over me, and Kat was standing a few feet away, glaring down at me. "What happened?"

"You passed out." Patch stated bluntly.

"Oh… okay." I looked up at the sky, and found it was getting dark.

"We're going to set up camp soon. So get up." Kat said.

* * *

><p>Once I was on my feet, we immediately set off. A few minutes later, Kat deemed that we were setting up camp here. I set down my stuff gratefully. All three of us were still soaking wet, but I was sitting on the ground with my legs pulled up to my chest, trying to get warm<p>

Patch looked over at me and held out his arms. "Do you need a hug?"

Kat, of course, yelled at him. "Don't touch her, either!"

"You look like you could use a hug."

She narrowed her eyes. "If you touch me,…"

He chuckled and rolled his eyes. "I'm going to go get some firewood." He then turned around and headed deeper into the woods.

Kat stood there for a moment, taken aback, before whipping around and starting off the other direction. I called out, "Where are you going?"

She didn't even turn around. "Food!"

And then I was alone, left to set up camp by myself.

* * *

><p>After Kat and Patch came back, we set up the fire and ate before going to bed.<p>

_Well, today turned out to be an interesting day._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well, since I completely forgot about the contest in the last chapter, I had some extra time to think of the winner. And the winner…**

**Will be posted in the next chapter.**

**[I'm kidding.]**

**The winner is:**

**xDevilishAngelx**

**Sol's Reaction: *Opens door* "Hi, glad you could join me for lunch! What would****  
><strong>**you like to have?"**

**Kat's Reaction(if she even had a house): *Opens door* "What do you want?****-kicks me out the door-"**

**Congrats!**

**Anyways, I'm going to sleep now. Bye.**


	12. 11: Too Much Water: Part 2

**A/N:**** Hi**

* * *

><p><strong>Sol<strong>

"Hey, Sol. We're leaving soon."

I woke up to the sound of Patch's voice. Sitting up, I saw Kat packing her stuff, and Patch's stuff already ready to go. Patch held out his hand to help me up. I took it gratefully. "Thanks."

Then I starting packing up my own stuff, and soon enough, we were ready to head out. Kat glanced at us. "We're following the river."

_Oh, right. The evil river that tried to drown me. Yeah, let's follow it._ "Why do you get to make all the decisions?"

"You're right," Kat said, surprising me. "We should just go climb some trees." _And there it goes._

Patch looked between us, obviously confused. Then said, "Right, so, let's go."

I nodded, and Kat took the lead, leading us back towards the river. Sighing, I fell in step with Patch and followed her. _Why can't she just be a little nicer for once? And why does she hate Patch so much? I mean, he's nice. Yesterday still confuses me, though. But, whatever_.

"You feeling okay?" Patch's voiced started me out of my thoughts.

I looked at him. "Uh, yeah, I was just thinking."

He nodded, taking a deep breath. "It's a nice day today. Clear skies, blue water, you know."

"What color was the water yesterday?"

"Blue. But still. Clear skies."

"I get it, it's nice out today."

"It is." Patch defended himself.

"Yeah," I nodded. "It is."

We walked in a comfortable silence for a while, following Kat. Eventually, I saw something up ahead. _A town!_ Kat broke the silence. "There's a town up ahead." _No, really?_

"I can see that." I told her. She glared at me and turned back around. We kept up until we got to the town, and found that it was quite small. _Unlike where we met Patch._

Patch looked around. "Wow. So, should we find a place to stay the night?"

Kat barely looked at him. "I don't care."

"You're nice," I muttered.

She smirked at me. "Thanks, I know."

"So, should we split up? And then choose a place to meet back up?" Patch asked.

"Works for me." Kat looked around before pointing to a jewelry store. "We'll meet up there." Then she turned around and stalked off.

I turned to Patch. "So, I'm going with you, then?"

He laughed and ran his hand through his hair. "Yeah, I guess."

"So, let's go!" I started walking off in a different direction than Kat, listening for Patch's footsteps following me.

* * *

><p>"Ugh! Why aren't there any hotels here? Seriously." I complained to Patch as we were headed to the meeting place.<p>

He shrugged. "It's just a small town. Not every where's going to have a hotel."

"Thank you, for agreeing with me. I really appreciate it."

"I was just saying." He spread his hands out in front of him. "Kat's here, though."

I turned around and found Kat standing a ways away. I started walking over but stopped when I realized that Patch wasn't following. Looking around, I saw him helping a girl who seemed to be having trouble carrying something.

I walked over. "Well, Patch, aren't you quite the gentleman?" I had said it to tease him, but there was something else. _Jealousy? No way._

The girl looked up at me. She was probably around my height, maybe an inch or two taller. Her blond hair went down to her mid-back, and had a single purple streak in it. Her blue eyes sparkled, and she had a slight tan. _She's really pretty._ She spoke, "Oh, he was just helping me carry this."

I shook my head. "No, it's okay. I was kidding." I offered my hand.

She took it, leaving Patch to pick up the box she was carrying. "Well, thanks for the help. Are you guys new around here."

"We're just passing by." Kat's voice came from behind me. "Actually, we should really be go-"

"Do you have a house?" Patch cut her off. "I can carry this for you."

"Thank you." The girl said to Patch. "My name's Kendra."

"Patch. And this is Sol," he gestured to me. "And Kat."

"Nice to meet you guys. Come on." Kendra led us to a small house towards the edge of town. She opened the door and pointed to a spot by the wall. "You can put the box down there. Thanks, again."

Patch set the box down. "You're welcome. Anytime."

"So, now that that's taken care of, why don't we-" Kat was cut off, again.

"Kendra! Is that you?" A women's voice called.

"Yes." Kendra called back. Two people walked into the room, a man and a woman, and I just assumed they were her parents. Kendra motioned towards us. "They helped me. This is Patch, Sol, and Kat."

"Well, thank you for helping her." The women spoke. "I'm Naida, and this is my husband, Enki. If you have nowhere else to stay for the night, you're welcome here."

"Thanks, but we really should be-" Kat started.

This time, Patch cut her off. "We'd love to stay for the night. Right, Kat?"

Before Kat had the chance to refuse, I cut in. "Yes, we'd really appreciate it."

"In fact," Patch added. "Me and Kat can get food. You guys like fish, right?" they nodded, looking a bit confused. "And Sol here is an excellent cook."

Naida nodded again. "Uh, yes, sure. Thank you. I'm sure that I don't need to tell you where the river is."

I looked at Patch, wondering what he was up to. He noticed, and took my elbow in his hand, walking me away out of earshot. He leaned in to whisper, "She's a +Anima."

"Who?" I whispered back. Naida was talking to Enki, probably about dinner plans. Kendra was trying to make friends with Kat, who seemed to be the only one who took notice to the fact that Patch had pulled me aside. She kept glancing over at us suspiciously.

"Kendra. She's a fish +Anima. Or, well, dolphin to be more exact."

"How can you tell? You never explained it."

"She smells like dolphin. I think Kat's too distracted by the smell of fish to notice, though."

"She smells like it?"

"Yeah, like you and Kat smell like cats." He must've noticed the way I glanced down at myself, frowning slightly. He rolled his eyes. "It's not a bad smell."

"Oh." I could feel myself start to blush.

Patch nodded before turning around and calling out, "Hey, Kat! Ready to go fishing?"

Kat glared at him before stomping off out the door. Patch followed her.

I walked back over to where everyone else was. Kendra came up to me. "Here, I'll show you where everything is." She motioned for me to follow her into the kitchen. Once we were in there, she lowered her voice. "So, what did Patch say to you?"

I looked at her, trying to keep my expression neutral. "What do you mean?"

"You were blushing."

Oh. Was it that noticeable?

"Anyways, this is where the spices are." She opened the cabinet, and I breathed a sigh of relief as she continued the tour of the kitchen.

* * *

><p>An hour later, Patch walked through the front door, with Kat following, looking angry.<p>

I noticed something wrong. "What is it?" I directed the question to Patch.

He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "We kind of caught too many fish."

Kat moved aside, revealing two barrels of fish, filled completely to the top. I stared at them a while before turning back to Patch. "Why?"

"Well, we got into a little competition." _Little?_ "I won, though."

I looked over at Kat, who was sulking in the corner. _That makes sense. That Patch won._ "Well then… Why don't you go to a market, and sell most of it, while I cook dinner?

Patch nodded and Kendra stood up from where she was sitting. "I'll go with him."

Enki got the necessary amount of fish for me, and set them aside. Kendra and Patch took the rest out to sell. I set up to make dinner.

* * *

><p>Dinner was ready by the time Patch and Kendra got back. As soon as they did, we all set down to eat, everyone except Kat engaging in small talk.<p>

All around, it was pretty enjoyable. After dinner, we set up our rooms and fell asleep.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**** Bye**


	13. 12: Sweet Dreams

**Sol**

_I dreamed of too little girls playing with their parent. One had black hair, and the other had white hair. I couldn't hear what they were saying but they looked happy. They were in a large room in a house, decorated with pictures and plants._

_It was kind of relaxing, I guess, watching little kids play. But, the more I looked at them, the more they started to remind me of Kat and me. _Well, it is just a dream. It's not like it matters.

"_Wake up…" _The voice?_ "Sol…"_

Why do I need no wake up?

"_Just do it…You can't stay here…"_

* * *

><p>"Sol! Wake up!"<p>

This time, it was Kat telling me to get up. I sat up, my dream coming back to me_. 'You can't stay here.' That's what it said, but what does it mean?_ "What is it, Kat?"

She looked down at me. "I didn't want to be alone out there with the other idiot."

"The other idiot? You mean Patch?" I asked.

"Yeah, sure. Him. Come on." She grabbed my hand and practically pulled me out of bed and into the main room. All the others were standing around, talking. _So, I'm the last person up. Great._

"Hey," Patch called to me. "Want some breakfast?"

I nodded, and it turned out that Naida had made butter toast for breakfast. I ate with Kat, who apparently hadn't eaten yet. I gave her a questioning look, and she shrugged.

After breakfast, it was time to say goodbye. Kendra came up to me and gave me a hug. "It was nice meeting you." She whispered in my ear. "Good luck." She let go and started walking away, but not before winking at me. I caught the rest of the sentence.

_Good luck with Patch._

I looked at my feet while the others finished talking. Kat walked past me out the door, and Patch followed behind slightly more leisurely. I waved one final time before go after him.

Patch smiled at me. "They were nice, weren't they?"

"Yes, they were." I agreed. "Maybe we'll meet them again."

"Yeah. So, did you have a good night's sleep?"

"Huh? Oh, right, yeah."

He gave me a long look. "You don't seem too sure of that."

"No? Well, I'm just tired." I kept trying to push my dream to the back of my mind. And kept failing. _That, and what Kendra said… err, implied._

"Oh. Okay." Patch said, but I could tell he didn't quite believe me. "Bad dream?" Point in case.

"Yeah, kind of."

"Want to talk about it?"

"Um, I'm good. Thanks."

* * *

><p>A few days later, Kat lead us into another small town. Maybe this one will at least have an inn. We decided not to split up, so we all walked together. After a while, we discovered one inn.<p>

"Only one?" Kat muttered. "And it has to be expensive?"

"Well, it's the only one hear." Patch told her.

"Maybe we missed something?" I spoke up. "We could check again."

"Sure, why not." Kat set off on another quick loop around the town. We had no luck, until…

"Hey! Stop running around!" the shout was followed by little kids' laughter, coming from a nearby house around the middle of town. A moment later, two kids, a boy and a girl, came out of the front door, a man following them, exasperated.

I walked over. "Um, sir, is everything alright?"

The man sighed. "My wife and I are trying to work on the house, but we can't get very far with the kids running all over the place."

Looking back, I saw the kids around Patch, who was midway between Kat and me. I heard Patch chuckle as they pestered him. "I can imagine. They seem to like Patch."

"The young man over there? Yes, they're always looking for someone to play with."

"Really?" I asked. "What are their names?"

"The oldest, the boy, is Tim. The girl is Emmy. There's a two year age difference. Tim is six and Emmy is four."

"I'd be happy to watch them for a while, if that's okay with you."

The man shook his head. "No, I couldn't ask you to do that."

"It's okay, really."

"No, that's a huge favor." He thought a moment. "But, if you did, would you want anything in return?"

"Um, me and my friends are looking for a place to stay tonight, but…"

"Then it's a deal. I'll go tell my wife."

Before he could walk away, I said, "I'm sure Kat would help you with your house, too."

He nodded and walked into the house. Kat's voice startled me. "Why do you guys like volunteering me for stuff?"

I turned to her. "Because you are so wonderful at helping."

Not waiting for her to respond, I went over to Patch and the kids. "Well, Patch, looks like we're on kid duty. Unless you want to help with the house."

"No, we want him to play with us!" Tim protested.

"Yeah!" Emmy agreed.

Patch rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, it looks like I'm on kid duty."

"But, you know," I said sarcastically. "That's just because _everyone_ wants to spend time with you, Patch."

Emmy looked at him. "You're name's Patch? That's so cool!"

At least Patch had the decency to look embarrassed. "Well, yeah, I guess so…"

"You don't think so?" Tim asked.

"I never really thought about it before." Patch said.

"Is there a certain place you guys like to play?" I cut in, rescuing Patch from further questions.

"Yeah! We'll show you. Come on!" Tim said. Emmy nodded and they started off.

I shared a look with Patch before we followed them.

* * *

><p>The kids led us to an open field, a little ways outside the town. The entire field was covered in tall grass and flowers, and it looked amazing.<p>

"Wow. It's beautiful." I breathed.

"It is, isn't it?" Patch said, standing next to me.

Then the kids came running up to us, taking our hands and leading us onto the field. "Come on, let's play!" Tim shouted.

"Okay," Patch said. "What game?"

* * *

><p><strong><span>Kat<span>**

_Stupid Sol, leaving me to do the actual work. Not like she didn't always do that, and not like I'm not glad to help. I would rather help someone and get a free place to stay the night then pay for an over expensive inn. Like the one in this town._

So, basically, one of the walls, a bookcase and a table got broken, and now we get to fix them. _Don't ask me how they broke. They just did._

Without little kids running around, the job was surprisingly easy. The lady and I worked on the table and bookcase, while the man worked on the wall. And in all honesty, it was nice to get away from the other two. Sol was bearable, but Patch just irritated the heck out of me.

"Can you please hand me the screwdriver, dear?" The woman asked me.

* * *

><p><strong>Sol<strong>

After a while of running around, I was exhausted. _I don't know how Patch can keep playing._ He was still running around, playing with the kids. A few minutes later, Patch came and sat down beside me, watching as Tim and Emmy played with each other. "Those kids sure are energetic."

I laughed. "Well, they are kids. Do kids their ages ever get tired?"

He smiled. "I doubt it."

Tim and Emmy were playing tag. Tim was it, and he was running after Emmy. Emmy, running as fast as she could, sure enough, tripped. Patch and I rushed up to see if she was okay, but she was clutching her ankle, crying.

"Are you okay?" I asked, and she shook her head, sobbing.

Tim came running up. "I'm so sorry! It's my fault!"

Patch picked Emmy up. "Let's get her back to the house."

I nodded and took Tim's hand, pulling him along behind me as I followed Patch. He was murmuring reassurances to Emmy as he walked. _He's handling it so well._

* * *

><p>When we got back to the house, both the parents ran up, worried at the sight of Emmy crying. "What happened?" the woman asked.<p>

"They were playing tag, and Emmy tripped and hurt her ankle." Patch explained.

Kat walked up. "Can I see?" Patch nodded, handing Emmy to her. Kat looked at her ankle a bit before announcing, "It's sprained, but it's not that bad. She should feel better in a couple day." She turned to the parents. "Do you have any bandages?"

They nodded, going off to get them, while Kat sat Emmy down on a chair. She was still crying, but seemed to have calmed down a bit. When the adults came back with bandages, Kat took them and wrapped them around Emmy's foot.

"Thank you for helping." The man said. "It's getting dark, though. Why don't we get something to eat and then we can get some sleep."

We nodded.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I'm ending the chapter here. Because I don't really feel like writing anymore. Deal with it. Come to think of it, we haven't heard from the voice in a few chapters, have we? Well, it has returned, but it needs a name. or not. Anyways, any suggestions?**

**Okay, so, my cousin just came up with a contest idea, that I like, so here it is:**

**Describe one character [of my choosing] like, their personality, and whoever's ****closest I will make a character for.**

**And now, the character of my choosing is:**

**~~ Patch ~~**

**Good Luck!**


	14. 13: A Grand Finale

**A/N: I guess I should probably do a disclaimer, huh?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own +Anima. Only my characters and the storyline.**

* * *

><p><strong>Kat<strong>

"Look up ahead!" Sol shouted excitedly. I groaned; it's been a week since we left the last town. And it looks like this one is another huge city. _Great, maybe Sol will get lost again and find another friend. Well, no, that wouldn't be great. It would be horrible._

"Alright." I said. "Let's go."

Sol took my hand and Patch's hand and dragged us behind her as she hurried off towards the town. _Why do I get the feeling that something bad is going to happen? Maybe it's just me being paranoid._

"You know, you don't have to drag me behind you." I grumbled. She laughed and let go. We continued on our way. If anything, this should be interesting.

Once we stepped into the city, I took a look around. Everyone seemed to be busy; people were walking around, carrying stuff, hanging stuff up. "What's going on?" Sol asked.

Patch shrugged, before stopping someone who was walking past us. "Uh, sir, do you know what everyone's doing?"

The man grinned. "You guys must be new here." Obviously. "Everyone's setting up for the festival, of course."

"What festival would that be?" Patch asked.

"The annual festival held here. It's the big thing around here. Everyone around comes to it."

"What's this festival for?" I cut in. The vague answers were starting to get on my nerves.

"It's to celebrate the creation of the city." The man said. "Actually, I'm kind of busy right now. I recommend you stay for the festival, though. It begins in two days time." With that, he left.

"I want to stay for the festival. Can we?" Sol said, turning to me. Patch nodded in agreement.

_Ugh, two days? Here? With these morons? Well, I'll be with them either way… and if we stay for the festival, I'll be with them less…_ "Fine, we can stay for the festival."

Sol was obviously pleased with my decision, but Patch seemed to have something else on his mind. "If we're staying, then we should find an inn as soon as we can. That guy said everyone around came, so if we wait it might be impossible to find a room."

Sol nodded. "He's right."

"Yeah. Let's go find a hotel."

There were actually quite a few inns in this town. Of course, it didn't help that most of them were full of people. That didn't help us. What did help us was the one reasonably priced hotel that wasn't stock full of people already. And people can be annoying. I should know.

Anyways, we finally found a room, and got checked in and everything. "Alright." Sol said. "Let's go see this room!" Cheerful as always.

It was a decent room; two large beds and a bathroom. I could make do for two or three days. It could even be relaxing.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Sol<span>**

"I'm going to get something to eat."

That's what Kat said before she stalked off, leaving Patch and I by ourselves. Patch spoke first. "Well, tomorrow's the festival. Is there anything you want to do now?"

It was the day before the festival. We had spent yesterday setting up some of our stuff in our hotel and then getting something to eat and going to bed. (By then it was getting pretty dark.) But, today... "Let's look around. You know, get the layout of the town. See where the best festival activities will probably be."

He smiled a bit. "Okay then, let's go."

We spent the rest of the day wandering around, and getting our bearings of the city. I had to admit, it was already looking really festive. Seriously. If it was up to me, we would be having this festival today. And it would last more than one night. Err, evening. The festival started in the evening. And went until midnight. See, I learned something today.

Now, Patch and I were sitting at a small cafe-type-thing eating dinner. "We haven't seen Kat all day." I said. "I wonder where she is."

Patch thought for a second. "Probably at the hotel, savoring her time alone."

We both laughed. I said, "That's true."

* * *

><p>The day of the festival came, and I couldn't wait. Well, I kind of had to, since it's only the morning, and the festival starts in the evening. I was so lost in thought I barely heard Patch. "Hey, Sol, do you want to go get something to eat?"<p>

I looked at him. "Uh, oh, right. Yeah." I grabbed my bag and followed Patch out the door, leaving Kat to her catnapping. (Ha!)

"Excited for the festival today?" Patch asked me.

"Of course I am!" I responded. _Who wouldn't be?_

* * *

><p>The rest of the day seemed like it dragged on and on, but in no time at all, it was evening. <em>Festival time!<em> I had spent the past hour getting ready; my hair was loosely braided behind my back, and I was wearing a short sleeved red dress that went down to my knees. I hadn't worn it since my birthday a few months ago (before I met Kat and Patch) and I was kind of surprised it still fit.

I looked over at Kat, who was just had on a half-sleeved light gray shirt and black shorts._ Oh, well. There's really nothing you can do about that._

Patch, who had left when Kat and I were about to get ready, knocked on the door. "Hey, are you guys ready yet?"

"Sure." I called. "Come in."

He opened the door and walked in. He had on a purple short sleeve shirt and black trousers_.Whoa..._ I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. _He looks amazing._ His messy, multicolored hair was messier than usual, and somehow he made simple clothes look fancy. He grinned, twirling a red rose in his hand. "Ready to go?"

"O-oh, yeah. Let's go." I stuttered before walking towards the door awkwardly. Kat got up and followed me.

When I got to Patch, he stopped me and tucked the rose behind my ear. It was a darker red than my dress, but it was still really pretty. "Here." He turned to Kat. "I would've gotten you a blue one, but I don't think you would've taken it."

Kat walked past him. "Not from you."

Patch rolled his eyes. "Exactly." Then he turned to me. "Shall we?"

I smiled. "Let's go."

We headed out of the building after Kat, and when we got outside, I gasped. It was stunning. In the daytime, when it was bright, it looked like they were just getting everything set up, and it still didn't look that festive. _But now..._ Fire-lights and candles illuminated the streets as the sun set, making everything seem as if it were glowing. People were milling about in bright colors and fancy clothes. _This is what a festival is really like... Actually, forget having the festival in the day. Night's good._

"It looks amazing, doesn't it?" Patch asked beside me. I nodded. "Well, do you want to go walk around and check it out, or are you just going to stand here and stare at it all night?"

I nodded again. "Yeah, come on." I grabbed his hand and started weaving through the crowd. It was way more than I thought it would be; performers dotted around the streets, drawing small crowds to each. People clapped and cheered. Most of the ones I saw walking past were dancers or singers. But one caught my eye. I joined one of the crowds to watch as a man juggled fire. Well, he was juggling batons, but both ends were lit.

"He's good." I looked at Patch. "What?" He asked.

I shook my head. "Nothing." Turning my attention back to the performer, I saw him do one really complicated looking trick which involved him spinning around and catching and some other little moves that I can't really describe. Apparently, it was his big finale, because after that he did some finishing move, putting out the fires, and the crowd erupted with applause.

"That was cool." Patch said. There was a pause. "So, can I choose the next place to go?"

"Sure." I followed him off, all the lights and colors still distracting me a bit. Still, I kept my attention on following Patch. He glanced back at me a few times to make sure I was following. Then he turned back around, which is when I felt someone grab my arm and drag me through the crowd. I tried yelling, but it got lost in the noise. _There are plenty of people here, can't anyone tell I'm being abducted?_

Soon enough, I was at the edge of the town, and festival. I looked at the person who grabbed me, and saw a man wearing a black cloak. _Geez, creepy much?_ "What do you want?" I asked, my voice sounding more confident than I felt.

"Nothing." He said. Yep, definitely a man. "You can call me Vizor."

"You want nothing?" I spluttered. "Then why did you drag me out here?"

"I have something for you."

_Okay, I can't read this guy at all. I've never met him, and he claims to have something for me?_

I waited for him to continue, and after a few moments, he did. "Hold still."

_Huh?_ He reached out a gloved hand hand, holding it flat out parallel to my face.

Images flooded through my head. First, the two kids that I had dreamed about before. _Me and Kat._ Then the two adults. _My parents._ Kat and I as little kids playing._ How?_ Years fluttered by in my head. _So Will didn't raise me?_ One day I was in that house, the next I was at the cafe with Will. _What?_

"You and Kat are twins. You grew up together with your parents, until you were five." The man- Vizor- said.

I barely heard him. "Wh-why? H-how?" I could barely talk.

"You're in danger." He spoke hurriedly. "You can't tell anyone."

In an instant, he was gone, and I was left alone.

"Sol? Are you okay?"

I heard Patch call out. A moment later, he was beside me, his hand on my shoulder. "Are you okay?" He repeated.

I snapped out of my daze. "Uh, yeah, I'm fine..."

"Where'd you go?"

_'You can't tell anyone.'_ "I, uh, wanted to get some fresh air. Sorry for not telling you."

He nodded slowly. "Okay, are you feeling better now? That many people can be a bit overwhelming..."

"I'm fine now." I managed a smile, and let Patch lead me back to the festival.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Yay! It's finished! This took me longer than I thought it would, but it's done now! I'm happy. Longest chapter so far. :)**


	15. 14: The Day After

**A/N: Let's get on with it, shall we?**

**Sol**

After the festival, I retired – gratefully – to my bed. I fell asleep instantly.

"_Come on, girls, we're going down to the lake." A voice, my mom's voice, said._

_Kat and I hurried up to get our shoes on. Soon, we were ready to go with our mom and dad. Dow to the lake was a fifteen minute hike through the woods, but it wasn't too bad. The lake was pretty, and had a nice breeze. There was a small beach surrounding it. Once we got there, I took off my shoes and enjoyed the sand between my toes._

_Kat bounced up to me. "Hey, Sol, wanna come swimming?"_

_I shook my head. Kat shrugged, running up to dad, and they went to get in the water and began splashing around. My mom's voice surprised me. "You're not going swimming with your sister?"_

_I shook my head again. "I can't."_

"_Well, why not?" my mom asked curiously._

"_I can't swim."_

_She laughed. "So, are we building a sand castle today, then?"_

"_Yeah!"_

_We started up on our castle, and I took occasional looks at my sister and dad, splashing around in the water. Soon, the castle was finished._

"Careful."

_My hand came crashing down, destroying half of our castle. _Oops. I guess I zoned out a bit.

"_Sorry!" I said, hurrying up to try to fix the damage. Inwardly, though, I smiled. That voice came again. I didn't know what it was, but I thought of it as my friend._

"_Like that, you're just going to cause more damage!" my mom giggled before helping me. She looked over to the lake. "It looks fun, doesn't it? You know, you could always learn to swim."_

_I shook my head. "No. I can't swim."_

_My mom gave me a long look. "You're a strange kid, you know that?"_

_Shrugging, I said, "And? I don't want to go in the water."_

"_That's why you're so strange."_

* * *

><p>I followed Kat as she led the way. To our next destination. To continue our journey. To… I yawned. It didn't feel like I got much sleep last night, and I wouldn't be surprised if I never fell asleep at all. After all, after last night, how could I? How could anyone? Seriously, if some guy shows up and tells you that half of your life wasn't how you thought it was. Honestly, if I could turn back time and make it so that never happened, I would.<p>

"_But you can't."_

_Oh, hi. Long time no… hear_. I sighed_. I'm crazy. That's what it is. Completely, totally, undeniably crazy. Yup. That's it. That's all it is._

"Hey, a lake!"

Patch's voice cut through my thoughts. A lake?

"Let's take a break. I'm tired." Kat said, much to my surprise. Kat? Tired?

We went down to the lake. It was huge, with the forest surrounding it. The sunlight sparkled on it, and it looked amazing. "I'm going to set up a camp." Kat announced before going off somewhere else.

"I could teach you how to swim." Patch said to me.

"Uh, no thanks." I stuttered.

He tilted his head to the side. "You don't trust me enough?"

My face flushed and I looked at the ground guiltily. "It's not that, but I just…"

Patch didn't say anything, and eventually I gave in. "Fine. You can teach me how to swim."

A few minutes later we were out and in the water. I refused to go where I couldn't stand up. Patch began his instructions. "Okay, first I'm going to teach you how to tread water. Here, like this."

He demonstrated. I tried.

And failed.

"No, move your arms more like this."

_Geez, this is harder than it looked._

Patch kept up on his lessons until I was exhausted, but at least I could tread water now. That was something, right? Oh, well. "Can we take a break?" I asked Patch.

"Oh. Okay." Patch, of course, hadn't even broken a sweat.

On our way to the camp that Kat had set up, I noticed it was much darker than it had been before. When we got there, we saw Kat already eating.

"Hey, you didn't wait for us?" Patch asked, putting a hand over his heart in mock offense.

Kat just shrugged. "You two were too bust splashing around in the water. I'm going for a walk."

She got up and left. Patch turned to me. "Well now, that was nice of her, wasn't it?"

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah. Let's just eat."

* * *

><p><strong><span>Kat<span>**

_I wonder what's up with Sol. She's been acting strange all day, ever since the festival. She didn't talk all day, which is really weird. Then she agreed to go swimming when just being in the water made her pass out before. Whatever, I can just ask her later._

I shrugged and continued walking.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Okay guys, here's your pretty little chapter with your pretty little flashback. And I mean little. This chapter's pretty short. Just a short little chapter. But next chapters where it starts getting pretty serious so be warned.**

**Also, I want to start doing little Q&A segments at the ends of chapters. So review your questions, it'll be fun. Ask me anything, story related or whatever, [as long as it's appropriate] and I promise to answer the best I can.**

**And just a quick shameless plug, I posted a story on Fiction Press, if you want to go check that out, I would really appreciate it. My penname's the same as it is on here.**

**So anyway, submit your questions by clicking this button right here:**

**VVV  
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**[Look at it. Look how cool it looks.**

**Oh my gosh Karen, how did you learn to do that?]**


	16. 15: Big Heads and Dirty Blood

**Sol**

_You can't stay here_

_You're in danger._

_That's why you're so strange._

I grumbled and rolled on my side, pulling my blanket tighter around my neck. Even with the fire and the blanket warming me, I still felt freezing. Not only that, but when I did get to sleep, I had nightmares. _What does it all mean?_ I was tempted to wake up Kat or Patch and tell them everything. But… I couldn't. Pushing it to the back of my mind, I sat up and saw something that surprised me.

Patch. Sitting there, staring at the fire.

I moved a bit closer, but couldn't read the look on his face. If he heard me, he gave so sign of it. "Patch?" I called softly.

Slowly, Patch's head turned in my direction. But it was still a few seconds before his mind seemed to register that I was up. "What are you doing up?"

"I couldn't sleep." Carefully, I crawled over closer to him. "You?"

He turned back to the fire. "Same."

_Well, okay then._ "Why not?"

It was a few minutes before he responded. "When I was a kid, my dad taught me how to fish."

"Err, okay?"

"We lived in a small town near a large river. There were a lot of different kinds of fish. And then, surrounding the river and the town was a beautiful forest. There were a lot of different animals there, too. My dad was strong and kind-hearted and brave. My mother was wise, pretty, and great at cooking." He glanced at me. "You remind me a lot of her."

I blushed at the compliment and waited for him to continue. _Where was he going with this?_

"Life was… perfect. We had food, shelter, and we were all happy. But… that changed."

There was something – some feeling or whatever – telling me not to ask questions, drop the subject and go back to sleep. But… it was _Patch_. What could be wrong? I couldn't just go back to sleep and forget this never happened. _"Forget it…"_

"Changed… how?" _I'm not listening this time. Patch is my friend_. Right when I finished saying it, a sudden pain flashed through my head. Like when I got my memories back.

I saw what looked like a little Patch down by the river with his father, being taught how to fish. I saw his mother come by and watch them for a few minutes before calling to them that lunch was ready. Even though I couldn't hear it, somehow I knew what they were saying. I could practically taste the food.

"My parents were murdered."

That sentence stopped it. Slowly, terror and desperation flooded through me. A younger Patch ran home, eager to see his parents and eat. But something was wrong. And when he opened the door to the house…

"When I was seven, my parents were murdered. I remember that day like it was yesterday. It had seemed like any other day, but something felt wrong. I was on my way home, but when I got there..."

… Patch's mother and father, lying dead on the floor. Blood was splattered everywhere. A few men swam into my vision, which was going blurry.

"They were dead. Stone cold dead. A few men were standing there with knives in their hands. It was terrifying; I didn't know what to do. One of the men stepped closer to me."

That's when it hit me: This was when Patch became a +Anima.

"'Are you next?' the man asked me. I was frozen. I couldn't move. I couldn't do anything."

The mark on my arm started feeling warm, and my vision was blacking in and out. I was staring at that man. _Are you next?_

"I turned and ran. It was all that I could do. They tried chasing after me, but somehow… I was faster. I ran as far as I could for as long as I could, and I haven't seen those men since."

And just as fast as if started, it ended. I was just left dizzy and confused, but looking at Patch and the fire.

I did the only thing I could think of. I went over and hugged him. "You should get some sleep."

~0~0~

It seemed like a few seconds later when Kat was waking me up, saying that we were leaving. I glanced at Patch, but he seemed fine. So I pushed last night to the back of my mind, and soon we were off to the next wherever-we-were-going.

That afternoon, we arrived in another town. We decided to split up for a bit before meeting back up. I was on my own for once and kind of enjoying it. That is, until I felt my bag pulled off my shoulder. "Hey!"

The kid was kind of short, shorter than me, with short, messy blond hair and pale skin. I ran after him.

He turned around and stuck a tongue out at me, and that's when a hand clamped down on his shoulder.

It was Patch. "You know, stealing is punishable by death."

The kid looked up at him horrified. Patch laughed and grabbed my bag out of his hand. "I'm kidding. But it can get you into trouble. What's your name, anyway?"

He glared at Patch before answering. "Jeu. And why is it any of your business what I do?"

"Why?" Patch repeated as he handed me my bag. "Because I don't enjoy seeing _little kids_ get in trouble."

"Little kid?" Jeu shouted. "I'll show you -"

"Calm down." Patch cut him off. "There's no reason to get so riled up." He turned to me. "Well, we should go meet back up with Kat. I don't think she'll be too happy if we're late."

I laughed as we started walking away. "I don't think Kat will be happy either way."

"Hey! Come back here!" Jeu yelled after us angrily. "I was talking to you! Hey! Who do you think you are?"

Once we were out of earshot, I turned to Patch. "Hey, that kid… is he…?"

"A +Anima?" Patch finished. "Yup. Fennec fox."

"What about foxes?" Kat's voice cut in. She was looking at us with a bored, and slightly annoyed, look.

"Oh, nothing." I waved my hand dismissively. "So, what are we getting to eat?"

~0~0~

An hour later we were sitting down having lunch. I looked around; I haven't seen that Jeu kid since earlier in the afternoon. _Geez, after the big deal he made about it, you'd think he would try something._ I glanced at Patch, who just shrugged. _Ah, well, I guess there's nothing to do about it._

_A fennec fox, huh? Can't say I've met any of those before. He was pretty cute, though. You know, if he wasn't trying to steal my stuff. Because stealing is bad. You shouldn't steal. Nope. It's bad. I wonder where the kid is. I hope he didn't get into any trouble, especially after Patch told him not to. Patch_… I sighed. Somehow, I couldn't quite forget about last night. Even if he was acting normal now.

"Aha! There you are!"

_Great, thinking of normal…_

It was Jeu, standing there pointing at Patch. _So, I'm guessing that he's holding some kind of grudge. Silly kid._

Patch sighed. "Here I am. What now?"

"What? You know this kid?" Kat stared at Patch with a confused look.

Patch glanced at her before looking back at Jeu. "What do you want?"

"I'm not losing to you!" That's what he said. What he meant was beyond me.

"Okay, now I'm even more confused." Patch ran his hand through his hair. "What do you want?"

Jeu stared him down. "A fight."

"No." Patch said flatly.

Kat stood up. "Forget the kid. Let's just go."

We all turned to leave, Jeu yelling after us. We just kept walking, and that was when I heard Jeu running after us.

Instinctively, I turned around, watching Patch do the same thing. He raised his arm as Jeu tried to hit him. The impact threw Jeu off balance, and he fell to the ground. A minute later he was sobbing. I moved closer to him. "Are you, uh, okay?"

Jeu looked up at me and raised his elbow, which was skinned and bleeding. "Oh, you're hurt!"

He shook his head and started sobbing again. "No... It's not that…"

"What is it, then?" Patch asked.

"I'm…. I'm…" He sobbed. "I'm dirty!"

Both Patch and I sweat dropped. _He got dirty? And that's why he's crying?_

_I just don't get some people._

~0~0~

**A/N: Jeu belongs to 0m3ga's Z3r0. Yay.**

**And now for some Q&A:**

**[See what I did there? It rhymes…]**

Q: Just one question from me: Does Kat remember, or is it only Sol so far~?

**A: Does it seem like Kat remembers?**

Q: Random question: where do you get inspiration for your story?

**A: Well, Kat was a character for my friend's story. [Cat's Eye, by Hokona. Go check that out.] The rest just kinda came after that. I have no idea.**

More [interesting, cough cough] questions, please~!

**Anyhow, here's my question for you: What is something that Kat could say to Patch?**


	17. 16: Familiar Strangers

**Sol**

A few days later, we came to another larger town. _Woohoo. Another one. I wonder what our adventure will be this time. I can't _wait _to find out._

"We'll stop here for a while." Kat announced. _As usual._

Patch stretched his arms out behind his head and yawned. "Sounds like a plan."

Kat turned around. "Who asked you?"

"Well…" he thought about it. "You just did."

Fortunately, Kat settled for a glare before turning back towards the town. It was probably the prettiest one we've been to before, not counting the festival. There were flowers planted around everywhere and was colorful. When we got to the middle is when it was the prettiest, though: The town was centered around a large lake, glistening in the sunlight. It was probably the clearest water I'd seen.

There were boats going across, and I realized that they were giving boat rides. Patch nudged me. "Hey, you know, we could go swimming if you want."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not going swimming."

"Okay." He tilted his head to the side. "Then how about a boat ride? The sign says 'Free'"

Glancing at Kat, I asked her, "Kat? Do you have anything to say?"

"Yeah, sure, whatever." She muttered, starting off towards the sign.

A few minutes later, we were getting on a boat. I hesitated, but the others seemed fine so I just got over it. As I sat down, there was a small _clink_ before the boat pulled out over the lake.

The breeze tossed my hair around as I looked out over the water. I couldn't resist; I reached down and put my hand in the water, feeling the coolness run through my fingers.

Patch leaned over next to me. "Feels nice, doesn't it?"

I nodded, watching the waves ripple away from the boat. For the first time since the festival, I felt almost completely relaxed. I looked over at Kat, who was sitting indifferently at the other on of the boat. "Sometimes I wish Kat wasn't such a snark fairy, though."

He just shrugged. "That's just how she is. We can't do much to change that."

"I know, but I don't really like listening to you guys argue."

"I don't argue. When do I argue?"

Looking back down at the water, I shrugged. "She argues with you."

"But that's not the same thing."

"You're arguing with me now."

Patch huffed before shifting his gaze back over the lake, a grin slowly forming. Then the rower announced that we were docking, and would be getting off the boat. Once we got back on land, we began looking for someplace to eat. And then I remembered: "Hey, guys, I think I dropped something on the boat."

"Want me to go with you to help you find it?" Patch asked.

I was about to say yes, but shook my head. "No, I'll be fine on my own."

"Just don't take too long." Kat said.

I nodded before going back over to the lake.

~0~0~

**Kat**

"What's the harm if she takes a while?"

I glared at him before taking off in the opposite direction Sol had gone. "What's the benefit?"

He sighed and followed me. "So, are we going to go find an inn now?"

"Why not get food now? "

"Kat."

"Sol can get her own."

"_Kat."_

"Fine." I huffed.

We walked on, looking out for a hotel. I was surprised when we didn't see one right away, considering how big of a town it was. A while passed, and we still didn't see Sol or a place to stay. Where could she be?

"Kat."

I whipped around and glared at Patch. "What?"

He spread his hands out in front of him. "I didn't say anything."

A strong breeze whooshed around us. I looked around, surprised to see that no one else was here. Except for one person.

A man in black robes.

~0~0~

**Sol**

I got back to the dock and pushed my way through the crowds. "Excuse me." I said to the boat keeper. "But I think I dropped something on one of your boats."

"Well." The man snorted. "Would you like to wait in line like everybody else, then?"

_Aren't you just a ray of sunshine?_ I opened my mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a voice behind me.

"It's fine. She can come with me."

~0~0~

**Kat**

"Who are you?" Patch questioned the man.

I just stood there speechlessly_. I have a weird feeling about this guy…_

"Who I am…" The man said slowly, "is of no concern to you."

He didn't sound like he was looking down on Patch, just like he was stating a fact. But that meant the he was here for…

"Kat. It's been quite a while, hasn't it?"

"Do I know you?" I asked. He can't be serious. I think that I'd remember someone like him.

"You would be surprised."

He raised his hand, and all at once unfamiliar images shot through my head. But the thing about it was that… they were familiar.

I doubled over, feeling nauseous. There was another gust of wind, and I knew that the man was gone.

"Kat! Are you okay?" Patch shook my shoulders, trying to get me to respond.

The sick feeling left, and I shrugged Patch off, too tired to do much else.

~0~0~

**Sol**

"Thank you so much!" I said to the man, who had helped me find what I had dropped earlier. It was a shell that Will had given me years ago, something he had gotten from one of his trips.

"No problem, kid. You should probably get back to your friends, though."

I nodded before going off to find Kat and Patch. _Hopefully it won't take too long._

And it didn't. After around ten minutes, I saw Patch standing outside of an inn. When he saw me, me gestured me over. "Did you find what you were looking for?" he asked. For some reason, his voice sounded a bit strange, but I decided to ignore it. If something was wrong, then he would tell me, right?

"Yes. Where's Kat?"

"In the room."

He nodded towards the entrance, and I followed him in and up to the room. Sure enough, Kat was there, looking annoyed. As per usual.

She looked up when I came in, but didn't say anything. Patch came in behind me and shut the door. _Okay, both of them are acting weird. What happened?_ I walked over to one of the beds and sat down.

It was a while before Patch said something. "Sol… where's your amulet?"

"What are you …" I looked down, only to find it missing.

"When did you find out?" Kat asked, looking me in the eye.

"Uhh, when did I find out what?"

"You know what I mean." I wish I didn't know what she meant. "When did you find out?"

"A-at the festival." I stuttered.

"And you didn't bother telling me?" She growled.

Patch cut in, "Guys, calm down."

Unfortunately, Kat didn't listen to him. "You could have said something? Doesn't it just seem like that kind of thing that _I would want to know?"_

I couldn't answer her; I turned and ran out of the room, heading for the roof. "Sol!" Patch called after me.

I practically collapsed onto the railing, sobbing. Footsteps came up behind me, and I knew that it was Patch. "Sol?" he asked uncertainly.

"I can't do this."

There was a moment of silence. "Yes you can."

I turned to face him before hugging him. "Patch…"

"Yes?" He hesitated, and by the way he tensed up, I could tell that he knew what I was about to say.

"I want to go home."

~0~0~

**A/N: And that concludes this story. Please stay tuned for the sequel.**

**No, I'm kidding. It's not the end. [Or is it...?]**

**But don't you just love cliffhangers?**

**I know that I do.**

**Anywhoo, we have a new reviewer: KaitouHime-NightsWing**

**This chapter is for her, and absolutely no one else.**

**Q&A TIME:**

Wow...Why is he crying over a little dirt? Will they take him with them? I hope to read the next chapter soon! :)

**... I hope that answered your question.**

Q: When will there be romance? (sorry romance person..)

**I can tell. But that's a secret. [Muahahahahaha~]**

**SO, that's it for now.**

**[This button needs your attention.]**

**VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV**


	18. 17: We Meet Again

**Sol**

"I want to go home."

For probably the first time since I met him, Patch seemed at a loss for words. "You don't mean that, Sol," he finally managed to say.

I backed away from him, looking at the ground.. "Yes. I do mean it."

It was all too much for me; the memories, losing the amulet, Kat yelling at me. All the secrets. I've basically been lied to for all my life. And now, suddenly learning the truth... I had ignored it in the beginning, but Kat isn't just going to let it go. It was just too much for me to handle.

"You can't. If you just called it quits and left, that would... that would just be running away from everything," Patch said. "You're stronger than that."

Strong? No, I wasn't strong. Kat, maybe, but not me. What could I do about anything? I've been running this whole time.

"Sol..."

_"You know, the boy's right..."_

I jumped a bit. "What?"

"What is it?" Patch asked, giving me a slightly confused, slightly concerned look.

My face heated up a bit; the voice just surprised me is all, because I wasn't expecting it. I had completely forgotten about it, in all honesty. I shook my head. "Nothing."

_I know he's right_, I thought. _But I just can't do it._

_"Yes, Sol, you can..."_

_How?_

_"Believe..."_

"Uh, Sol?" I looked up at Patch. "Are you okay?"

"Huh? Oh, right, I'm fine," I assured him. "But you're right."

Poor Patch looked even more confused. "I... am?"

"Yup." I rubbed my eyes with my arm before looking back up at him, grinning. "How could I just give up when I have such great friends?"

In the dim light, I could just make out the slightest pink come to his cheek's. "Uh, right. I'm glad."

~0~0~0~

_All the trees look the same,_ I thought as I walked along behind the others. _Nothing but trees, all the same. _The words had been spinning circles around my mind all day.

Until I made the connection.

I stopped in my tracks, shifting my weight from one foot to the other, while practically beaming with excitement. Patch paused and looked back at me. "Sol?" he asked, somewhat worriedly.

Kat too slowed down to a stop and gave me a rather annoyed look, probably because I was holding us up. She hadn't said a word to me all day, and I couldn't say that I was all that surprised.

"Have you noticed?" I glanced between the both of them. "All the trees look the same!"

"And this is something to get excited over?" Kat snorted. Judging by her words and the look on her face, I could tell that she thought I had lost it.

"Kat's right," Patch agreed. Mischief sparkled in his eyes. "For once."

She glared at him. "Shut it, dog-breath."

"Hey! I do not have dog-breath!" Patch defended.

As amusing as it was to watch them argue, I had something else on my mind. "I think I recognize where we are..."

Patch looked back over to me. "You sound a bit eager. Is it somewhere you wanna stop?"

I nodded, ignoring Kat as she rolled her eyes.

"Then lead the way."

~0~0~0~

Home.

That was the first word that came to mind as I breathed in the familiar air of the town where I had grown up. Well, not exactly _where I grew up_, but close enough.

Will. Was it a coincidence that I was put in a situation where I had to leave, and ended up meeting Kat and Patch? Maybe I was just over thinking it, but...

I took off towards where I thought Will might be with Patch following close behind, and Kat following begrudgingly. The place I thought Will would be. The cafe.

It didn't take long to reach, as my memory of the town hadn't faded. But would he be there? What about the cafe? There were too many memories of it for it to just be gone, right? I desperately hoped that it was still there.

And there it was.

Full of people and everything. But he said that it was closing, didn't he...?

"Sol?"

I turned at the familiar voice to see Will, the person I honestly thought that I'd never see again. Without thinking, I ran over and hugged him, happy tears coming to my eyes. Luckily he wasn't holding anything. He hugged me back. "What are you doing here?" he asked, curiosity ringing in his voice.

"Oh, you know," I downplayed it, wiping my eyes as I pulled away from him. "I- err, we were in the area."

His eyes lit up briefly. "We?"

Nodding, I motioned to Patch and Kat, who were standing awkwardly a bit off. Well,... yeah. I couldn't help but laugh at how out of place they looked. Waving them over, I said, "Guys, this is Will. Will, this is Patch and Kat."

They nodded politely their hellos, before Will addressed all of us. "Well, now that you're here," he glanced at me, "I think we need to talk."

~0~0~0~

We sat at a table in the back room of the cafe. There was another waitress managing the tables and food while Will was with us, and when I asked he said that she was the help since I had to leave.

"So, what's this all about?" Kat demanded.

I sighed. Same old Kat... But she did have a point.

"Well, that's kind of hard to explain, so I'll just do the best that I can," Will laughed dryly. "I work under a man named Vizor, and-"

"Vizor?" I cut him off. "I know him. He's the one that gave me - us - our memories back."

Will nodded. "Yes, I figured that was why you're here."

"Err, not really, but yes. You were saying?"

"Like I said, I work under Vizor, but he works under someone else," he continued.

"Who?" Kat asked.

Now Will shook his head. "I don't know his name, or anything about him for that matter. But I do know that there is another man with his sights set on getting the amulets."

"What's so special about the amulets?" Patch piped up.

"They're powerful, or so I've heard. Or been told. I don't know much about them, however, or the situation," Will answered.

"Huh. That's helpful," Kat muttered.

"Sorry, but if you want more information, you may want to try meeting up with Vizor," Will suggested. He looked thoughtful for a moment before he added, "And Kat? Don't lose your amulet. It could cause a lot of problems if it falls into the wrong hands, so protect it with your life."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well, it's not like that took me a while or anything. Darn procrastination...**

**Anyway, I could ramble on about whatever. But I'm not going to. I'm just gonna save you the trouble of reading through it. [Or not reading it.] The next chapter's gonna be short, but it's definitely gonna be one of my favorites. Why? You'll see... [Eventually.]**

**Happy Christmas and a Merry New Years~!**

**[Or, to be politically correct {or something along those lines} Happy Holidays~!]**


	19. 18: Wrath

The man smiled as he tightened his grip on the amulet.

Stealing normally wasn't something one should be proud of, but when your life depends on it, relief comes easily with a job well done. After all, he had completed his task, so why should he worry about his Master's wrath? The way he saw it, he was fairly safe from it.

There was no doubt in his mind that his Master would be pleased with him. Maybe he would even get praised. The very thought made his hands tingle with some strange-yet-pleasant feeling - happiness, maybe? - as he made his way through the intricate halls of the underground hideout.

Finally he made it to the room of his objective. Kneeling down, he addressed another man standing in the middle of the room, clad in midnight black robes lined with blood red edging. "Master."

"Do you have it?" his Master demanded immediately.

The man, a servant to this 'Master', nodded, holding out the crescent moon shaped amulet in front of him. The Master crossed the room and grabbed the amulet out of the servant's outstretched hand, eying it with pleasure; not that anyone would be able to tell, as his face was covered by his hood. "Yes... Good..."

The simple man beamed with pride. He didn't bother worrying about his Master's wrath. The way he saw it, he was fairly safe from it.

That was only how he saw it, however.

Because the next - and last - thing he saw was his own crimson blood splatter on the ground in front of him.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I have no comment about this at the moment.**


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